The EDPAA’s first president from overseas was Don Grant, an auditor from Canada who helped expand the international reach of the organization. During his 1983-84 presidency, Grant visited many of the chapters outside of North America, launched the first Asia-Pacific EDPAC conference, and published EDPAA materials and the CISA exam in a number of languages. He also created the executive director position.

Some of our volunteer leaders have shared their advice for incoming ISACA members. What advice would you share? Tell us by submitting your advice at ISACA50.org.

“Whenever I speak to people, I encourage them to get involved, because that’s the only way they’re going to get the real true benefits. And guess what? It’s a lot of fun, plus you learn a lot, and you work with some great people. Your membership dues are a very, very small price to pay for all of the benefits and the rich experiences you can get from being part of ISACA. There’s living proof. You speak to anybody who’s ever been involved in ISACA, either the local chapter or international committees and boards or going to the conferences. They love it. There’s living proof that it w...

After Mike Donahue took a close look at some of the questions on the first CISA exam in 1981, EDPAA leadership put him on the Testing Maintenance Committee to help write new ones. Donahue was eventually elected to what was then called the International Board of Directors. In 1993, he became president and oversaw EDPAA’s 25th anniversary celebration.

In digging through our historical archives, we came upon a treasure trove of photos from across the decades. This one showing an EDP Auditors Association booth at a conference in 1987 demonstrates just how much we’ve changed over the years—from our name to our signage and marketing materials! Share your own photos of conference materials, booths and events over the years through the website’s Get Involved page.

In the spirit of milestone celebrations, let’s not forget that 40 years ago this week, ISACA (then EDPAA) launched its first professional certification, the Certified Data Processing Auditor designation. The name was later changed to the Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA).

Created to credential current EDPAA auditors and help establish role clarity and hiring decisions for future IT auditors, the launch came with a one-year grandfathering period for those already in the profession. Written exams began in early 1981 following trial exams and the establishment of continuing education policies. The impact is clear—IT auditors today are rarely hired without a CISA certification on their CV.

While the EDPAA (now ISACA) was founded in Los Angeles, CA, USA, our headquarters has always been based in the Chicago, IL, USA, area. This can be credited to Gerald Meyers (president, 1976-1977), the first person from outside of California to lead the organization. After helping to establish a chapter in his hometown of Chicago, he served on the Board of Directors for three years before becoming president. As president, he saw the importance of establishing a formal headquarters as a means to continuing growth.

ISACA’s first international conference took members to Mexico City during the summer of 1980 to explore the evolution of their profession. The three-day conference included four general session speakers and tracks in management, applications systems, security and advanced specialties, as well as a vacation track for spouses and families.

ISACA has gone through an incredible evolution since it operated in its first office in a spare bedroom of first employee Marian King’s home in Hanover Park, Illinois, USA, in 1976. A few decades and office moves later, we’re continuing to look ahead to a bright future in our new headquarters location in Schaumburg, Illinois, where we moved in May. This move reflects who we will be going forward, accommodates our growth plans and will allow us to better serve our members in the years to come.

In 1976, ISACA’s first office was located in a spare bedroom of the Hanover Park, Illinois, USA., home of first employee Marian King. Today in 2018, ISACA continues to grow at its new headquarters location in Schaumburg, Illinois.

Conducting research for the upcoming 50th anniversary involves sorting through boxes, envelopes and piles of paperwork to unearth all types of previously forgotten materials. So far, we’ve discovered photos, newsletters, journals and documents from as far afield as Los Angeles, Canada and Australia. Add your own photos, documents and other digital items to ISACA’s historical archives through the website’s Get Involved page.

Supporting members in their career development has been a key area of focus for ISACA throughout the years. In the 1983 issue of EDP Journal, Past Board Chair Steven J. Ross, then a Principal with The Plagman Group, Inc., shared his advice for EDP auditors:

“Each individual must ask himself, ‘What will I be doing next year?’ Auditors review strategic planning for systems; what about strategic planning for themselves? Where do they want to be in 1984? What are EDP auditors’ careers going to be like in the year 2000?It is a safe assumption that the median age of all EDP auditors does not exceed 40. The 40-year-old EDP auditor is going to retire in the year 2007. What does he want to be doing in that year?The future, whatever it will be...

The Harold Weiss Award for Outstanding Achievement is named after long-time EDP member and industry leader Harold Weiss. A GE engineer in the 1950s, Weiss is credited with creating the precursor to today’s CACS conference. His Automation Training Center offered data processing classes for auditors and auditing training for computer professionals, with waiting lists that were years long. When EDP Auditors Foundation took over the CACS conference in 1985, it created the award to honor Weiss’ pioneering work in the field by recognizing an individual for sustained contributions to the advancement of the governance of enterprise IT.

Cover designs may have come a long way over the years, but ISACA has stayed focused on sharing relevant information with its members, as seen in this collection of EDP Auditor issues. ISACA’s publication archive traces technology news from the 1970s to the present.

As technology has evolved over ISACA’s 50-year history, so has the threat landscape. What we now refer to as “cybersecurity” has taken different shapes and names over the decades.

In the 1970s and 1980s, enterprises often focused on physical security—protecting computer rooms and equipment. As information systems expanded and connected more people in the late ‘80s and ‘90s, security capabilities needed to grow to address new threats, including software piracy and hacking.

Along the way, ISACA provided professionals with tools for navigating the world of what came to be called cybersecurity, such as Cybersecurity Nexus (CSX), launched in 2014.

As we navigate the current environment of data breaches, ransomware attacks and new technologies such...

In 1996, ISACA had a big dream: to launch a new framework, then called COBiT (Control Objectives for Information and related Technology). Its goal was to help organizations of all sizes, and in all industries, govern and manage their information and technology. “CobiT is going to totally change how IS professionals work,” the association proclaimed on its website in 1996.

The original COBiT was delivered to users on diskette. Today’s COBIT community can simply download the framework and can both learn and leverage COBIT 5 through training, full day COBIT-related workshops facilitated by industry experts at ISACA conferences, newsletters, an online community and other online resources. ISACA has worked to link COBIT with CMMI tools in r...

Eugene Frank was among the original incorporators who signed the EDPAA into existence in 1969. He was also the second president, serving from 1972 to 1973. Eugene was instrumental in reconstituting the organization after it came to a standstill in 1971. We captured his story on camera for the anniversary.

We recently interviewed Marian King, ISACA’s first employee. In the mid-1970s, Marian lived next door to Gerry Meyers (EDPAA President, 1976-77). Gerry needed help running the fast-expanding organization, so he hired Marian as the association’s secretary. Marian’s stories will be shared during the anniversary year.

It can often take time to navigate opportunities when first joining a large global association. Krysten McCabe, past ISACA Board Director and former member of the Audit and Finance committees, Awards Working Group and the Journal Review Team, recalls her experience finding her niche.“I liken ISACA to going to a large university. Until you get involved, it seems really big and overwhelming. But once you do, you start to reap the benefits,” McCabe said. “I think everyone has a place. It's just taking the initial step to figure out where that is, and having confidence in yourself that you can actually make a difference in the organization, no matter where you are in your career or where you live.”Over its nearly 50 years, ISACA has been presen...

In preparation for the anniversary year, we’re conducting oral history interviews with legends from our earliest years. Here’s Howard (Bud) Friedman (EDPAA President, 1973-1974) preparing for his interview at home in Los Angeles. We’ll be featuring this footage throughout the anniversary year. Watch this space.

Howard (Bud) Friedman with video crew members as they prepare to record.

ISACA conference activities come in all shapes and sizes. At the 1985 National Conference in Brisbane, Australia, a booth for the Residence Inn offered a putting green for attendees to enjoy. More recent conferences have included popular activities such as casino nights and group exercise between sessions.

The Residence Inn booth at the 1985 National Conference in Brisbane, Australia